Politics – A Level Only

The A Level course in Government and Politics covers a range of political issues and how countries are governed. Students will undertake 3 modules for their A Level course. Students will study the following:

UK Government

UK Politics and Political Ideas

Comparative Politics – The Government and Politics of the USA

Within these topic areas students will assess key issues such as voting behaviour, political participation as well as the British Constitution and Parliament. Students will develop a broad knowledge and understanding of the political system and ideologies throughout the 2 year course. Due to A Level reform we are hoping to follow the Edexcel specification but this is till awaiting accreditation.

We want students who: are interested in politics and the world around them. Students need to have a keen interest in political issues as well as how countries are governed. We want students who are independent thinkers and are able to follow key issues of the day through newspapers and the televised media. We also want students who have good writing skills and are analytical. Government and Politics covers a broad range of topics and we want students who can demonstrate high level thinking skills in order to get the best out of the course.

How will students be assessed? Students will be assessed by three examinations of 2 hours, consisting of source based and structured questions for their A level.

What other courses does it complement? Politics links well with other Humanities based subjects such as History. It also links with English, Sociology and Religious Studies as these subjects are also essay based.

Next steps – what does this course lead to? Students go on to a wide range of further education courses at university or college. It is particularly useful for those interested in careers in Law, Journalism and of course Politics. Students have also gone onto careers in teaching law as well as a variety of graduate entry jobs and the analytical skills developed are also useful for a wide range of apprenticeships.